Ibrahimovic can still achieve more in football: Hazard

Paris, June 23 (IANS) Belgium captain Eden Hazard believes that Swedish football legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic still has a lot more to offer after the latter’s international career ended with elimination from the ongoing European Championship.

Sweden needed a win against Belgium in their last group match on Wednesday to keep their Euro 2016 campaign — and Ibrahimovic’s international career — alive. But Radja Nainggolan’s strike secured second place in Group E for Hazard’s side.

“Zlatan is a big name in football. He has achieved a lot of things with Sweden, some great things,” Hazard told reporters after the win.

“He will have wanted to stay in the tournament a bit longer, but it was our goal to progress. But he will always be a huge name in football. He can still achieve a lot of things at club level.”

Belgium will meet Hungary in the round of 16 and Hazard stressed his colleagues must not underestimate the Group F winners.

“Hungary will be a complicated game. We watched the last bit of their match versus Portugal. They have some good players and always give 200 per cent. We expect a difficult game, but we have to be ready,” he said.

“We will see at the end of the tournament if we are indeed in the easy part of the schedule, without any favourites. But there are no easy games. We saw today that Ireland beat Italy,” the Belgium captain added.